Going hiking is, above all, about communing with nature. In that context, accidents can never be ruled out. A teammate who faints or breaks a leg, another who gets injured after a fall — what do you do? The first aid kit is never far away on a hiking trip. But you still need to use it correctly and know the right actions to take. Here is what you need to know about first aid when hiking.
First aid: a cornerstone of hiking preparation
Before even preparing for a hiking trip and all the gear that needs to be packed. A hiking trip means spending hours in environments where conditions are not always ideal. Out in nature, there is not always a medical service nearby or people with first aid knowledge.
You may also find yourself in a location with no signal to call for help, or in a remote spot where emergency services will take a long time to reach you. That is why it is essential to think about first aid when hiking before you even plan your departure. It is even better to do so as a group, since you never know which members may be in danger and which will need to provide first aid.
The importance of first aid training
First aid training is important for many reasons. First and foremost, it is worth knowing that the first aid kit and all the safety gear you bring along will be useless if the people carrying them do not have the knowledge to use them.
It is also worth remembering that first aid when hiking — as anywhere else — is not about treating injuries but about stabilising the victim's condition. In the event of an accident, first aid aims to prevent the victim's condition from deteriorating. First aid is a set of automatic responses and reflexes acquired through highly focused training. The key principles of first aid are: speed, efficiency, and method.
There is a clear difference between people who have been trained in first aid and those who have not. Those without training tend to panic, become disorganised, and are ineffective in emergency situations. They make poor decisions, waste materials unnecessarily, and quickly lose composure when things get difficult.
Providing first aid on a hiking trip: a mindset above all else
In everyday life, everyone has their own personality and habits. When an emergency occurs during a hiking trip, those habits are thrown into disarray by events. You need to act fast — very fast. First aid when hiking can only be effective if it is swift, since a victim's condition can change from one minute to the next. Learning the various automatic responses enables you to act quickly in the moment, as both theory and practice are covered in these training sessions.
When administering first aid, you also need to learn to stay calm. People who have not been trained in first aid are often in shock when a serious event occurs. Some freeze completely and cannot move, while others panic, cry, and shout. During first aid training, instructors teach students to move beyond that psychological shock and remain clear-headed and effective. For example, some sessions involve practical exercises where learners get used to seeing blood and overcoming the paralysis caused by psychological shock.
Getting first aid training in France: how does it work?
At the very beginning, there was a first aid qualification known as the Brevet National de Secourisme. In 1991, the Attestation de Formation aux Premiers Secours (AFPS) replaced the BNS. Since 2007, this AFPS has in turn been replaced by a qualification called Prévention et Secours Civiques de niveau 1, or PSC1. This is a seven-hour course. Learners can spread these hours over several days, depending on their availability.
It is worth noting that the PSC1 is a course open to anyone aged 10 and over. In certain professions, this training is mandatory — for example, in geology and other underground work.
A wide range of organisations offer the PSC1 course in France — including the Unions de Sapeurs-Pompiers, the Croix-Red, the Croix-White, the Fédération Nationale de la Protection Civile, and many others. The cost of the training ranges from 50 to 80 euros.
